Ukranian opposite hitter Olesia Rykhliuk continued to display her fiery form, dropping 19 points and leading Volero Zurich past Japanese club Hisamitsu Springs 25-19, 25-15, 25-17 for their second win in Group B of the 2016 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Last year’s bronze finishers, Volero outmuscled their Asian foes in virtually every category. Rykhliuk scored 15 of Volero’s 44 attack points. The Swiss side also recorded 11 blocks to Hisamitsu’s one.
The Japanese side had problems getting around and over the taller Volero sqaud, leading to botched attacks and errors. Their trouble on reception also contributed to their struggle on offense. Japan never held a lead in the latter portions of the sets.
“I thought we played better than yesterday. The team is getting used to playing with each other more and more. I’m looking forward to seeing my team play against the some of the stronger teams in the tournament,” said Volero head coach Zoran Terzic who led the Serbian National Team to a surprising silver finish in the Rio Olympics.
American middle hitter Foluke Akinrawedo and team captain Natalya Mammadova each pitched in 10 points for Volero.
Hisamitsu skipper Miyu Nagaoka led her squad with nine markers while Nana Iwasaka added seven.
Volero (2-0) will face European Champions League second-placers Vakifbank Istanbul (1-0) tomorrow.
“Vakif will be a very tough opponent for us. They have the best players from the Olympics on their team. We’re very excited to see how we’ll play against them,” Terzic closed.
The Scores
Volero Zurich (3) – Rykhliuk 19, Akinrawedo 10, Mammadova 10, Zivkovic 9, Orlova 7, Almeida 1, Costa 1, Malkova 1, Popovic (L)
Hisamitsu Springs (0) – Nagaoka 9, Iwasaka 7, Ishii 6, Shinnabe 5, Tokanka 3, Namoto 1, Koto 0, Ishibasi 0, Toke 0, Tsutsui (L)
